Question for those with young children of your own

[Willowdancer]

I haven't sent my forms off yet but they're in the pipeline for next week.

Anyway, what I wanted to know is if you have several children of your own, how do you manage to fit childminding in around them?

I have a 5 year old (6 in September) who is at school between 8.50am and 3.10pm.

I also have 3 year old twins (4 in September) who are at nursery 9am to 11.30am three days per week and 9am to 12.30pm on the other two.

I already have 2 possible mindees lined up for after school care but I'm not sure about the rest of the day now. I could probably alter the twins' hours at nursery and pay for them to stay until 12.30pm every day but it seems like its going to be a headache trying to fit mindees in around them for the next year at least. They start school in September 2009 so I guess things will be much easier then!

How do you work it all out??:eek:

Thanks.

Ali

[Annie_T]

i have a girl of 6yrs - 7 in jan and a boy of 7years -8 in aug both full time skool -8.30-3.

I have a mindee in the waiting which i will be working shift work with (8.30-2.30 one wk and 1.30-5pm other week)

I dont think im gonn have trouble myself as i will have get mindee dropped off earlier or slightly later in the mornings

but each child is different and needs x amount of time with you (if you understand that) im sure your be ok hun and you basically work around your own scedule

[tulip0803]

When I first minded DS was 7 and DD was 3. My first mindees were 2 sisters one full-time one pre/after school. The oldest attended my daughters school and the youngest the mum arranged to attend the same preschool as DD. DD was then offered a place at the council run nursery (v. good) so I was doing 1 school then 2 preschool drop offs with pick ups at differetn times. I was only able to collect from one school as the finishing times of the next nearest were too close so I ended up turning work down as no childminders covered the other school.
You have to look at what it is actually possible for you to do and turn down things that you cannot fit in. Your family should still come first. DD loved me minding she loved having friends of all ages to play but she is a very social child. It gets difficult when the school age child wants friends to play and you have to say no as you would be over your numbers.